Academic Fresh Start - Undergraduate Students

Academic Fresh Start is a plan of academic forgiveness which allows undergraduate
students who have experienced academic difficulty to make a clean start upon returning
to college after an extended absence to earn their degree.

Student Requirements

You cannot have attended any post-secondary institutions for a minimum of four (4) years.

You must meet the institutional requirements for admission/re-admission.

You must apply for admission or re-admission as a degree-seeking student.

You must meet with your college advisor to develop an approved academic plan including
a new UD form and complete the Academic Fresh Start application.

Terms of the Academic Fresh Start

Once the above requirements are met, the Academic Fresh Start may be approved. You
can be granted a Fresh Start only once.

Your permanent record will remain a record of all work; however, courses taken and
previously failed will be excluded from the calculation of the Quality Point Average
(QPA) and your Grade Point Average (GPA). Courses with a D grade will also be excluded
from the calculation when a grade of C or better is required in your current major.

Retained grades will be calculated in the Fresh Start QPA/GPA.

Courses with D or F grades must be repeated at the institution when they are required
in the student's current major.

All remaining courses for the current degree objectives must be completed at the institution.
No transient credit will be accepted after invoking an academic fresh start.

The application of retained credit toward degree requirements will be based on the
requirements currently in effect at the time of the academic fresh start approval.

Previously satisfied COMPASS requirements will not be forfeited.

Current COMPASS requirements in reading and math must be met if the student did not
satisfy COMPASSrequirements at the time of previous enrollment.

Your transcript will note that an Academic Fresh Start was made and the date of the
Fresh Start.

MTSU will honor an academic forgiveness plan offered at another institution so long
as it is clearly noted on the official transcript from the previous instititution. Other
institutions may not accept the QPA as it is calculated due to the approval of a MTSU
Fresh Start.

This policy is independent of financial aid regulations. All coursework will still
count in the Financial Aid satisfactory academic progress calculation. Financial aid
requirements at the time of application will apply. Therefore, you should check with
your MT One Stop counselor for guidance.